Double-walled panel for building

ABSTRACT

A double-walled panel for building includes a main body defining an inner space and two opposite open sides, and being internally provided with spacing boards to divide the inner space into a plurality of chambers respectively having two opposite open ends; a working liquid being filled in at least one of the chambers; and at least two sealing covers being respectively provided on one surface facing toward the main body with insert portions for sealing the two open ends of each of the chambers. The double-walled panel may be used as a ceiling panel or a partition wall. The working liquid filled in the chambers not only helps in lowering indoor temperature in normal use conditions, but also helps in extinguishing fire when the building is on fire. The working liquid can also serve as drinking water for those who are trapped in a collapsed building during a disaster.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part patent application of U.S.application Ser. No.12/146,687 filed on Jun. 26, 2008, the entirecontents of which are hereby incorporated by reference for whichpriority is claimed under 35 U.S.C.§120.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a panel for use in a building, and moreparticularly to a double-walled panel for building that not only helpsin lowering indoor temperature in normal use conditions, but also helpsin extinguishing fire when the building is on fire. The working liquidcan also serve as drinking water for those who are trapped in acollapsed building during a disaster .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, a conventional ceiling structure includes at least a set oflightweight steel frames connected to an inside roof of a room, and aplurality of plastic panels or gypsum panels is supported on thelightweight steel frames.

The plastic panels and the gypsum panels supported on the lightweightsteel frames are only decorative panels without the function of loweringindoor temperature. Moreover, the plastic panels and the gypsum panelsare easily burned and damaged in a fire to produce a large amount ofblack smoke and toxic gases, which increase people's difficulty insafely leaving the building on fire to result in increased number ofinjured and dead.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a double-walledpanel for use as a ceiling panel and/or a partition wall in a building,so that the panel not only helps in lowering indoor temperature innormal use conditions, but also helps in extinguishing fire when thebuilding is on fire. Further, the working liquid can also serve asdrinking water for those who are trapped in a collapsed building duringa disaster.

To achieve the above and other objects, the double-walled panelaccording to the present invention includes a double-walled main bodydefining an inner space and two opposite open sides, and beinginternally provided with a plurality of spacing boards to divide theinner space into a plurality of chambers, and each of the chambershaving two opposite open ends at the two open sides of the main body; aworking liquid being filled in at least one of the chambers in the mainbody; and at least two sealing covers for sealing the two open sides ofthe main body as well as the two open ends of each of the chambers. Thesealing covers are respectively provided on one surface facing towardthe main body with a plurality of insert portions for separatelyinserting into the open ends of the chambers to seal the same.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present inventionto achieve the above and other objects can be best understood byreferring to the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a double-walled panel forbuilding according to a first preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows the use of the double-walled panel of the present inventionas a ceiling panel;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the circled area “a” of FIG. 4;and

FIGS. 6 and 7 show how the double-walled panel of the present inventionserved as a ceiling panel releases a working liquid filled therein whenthe building is on fire;

FIG. 8 shows the use of the double-walled panel of the present inventionas a partition wall;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 shows how the double-walled panel of the present inventionserved as a partition wall releases the working liquid filled thereinwhen the building is on fire; and

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a double-walled panel forbuilding according to a second preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 that are exploded and assembledperspective views, respectively, of a double-walled panel for buildingaccording to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, andto FIG. 3 that is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2. Asshown, the double-walled panel of the present invention includes a mainbody 1, a working liquid 2, and at least two sealing covers 3.

The main body 1 is double-walled to define an inner space and twoopposite open sides, and may be made of a plastic material. Thedouble-walled main body 1 is internally provided with a plurality ofspacing boards 11 to divide the inner space into a plurality of chambers12, such that each of the chambers 12 has two opposite open ends 121,122 at the two open sides of the main body 1.

The working liquid 2 is filled in at least one of the chambers 12 in themain body 1, and may be water or other suitable fire-extinguishingliquids. The working liquid 2 can function to extinguish fire, conditionthe temperature of an environment in which the double-walled panel isused, or serve as drinking water for those who are trapped in acollapsed building during a disaster. The volume of the working liquid 2filled in the chambers 12 may be smaller than or equal to a total volumeof the chambers 12, depending on actual need. In addition, the workingliquid 2 can be filled in only one or some or all of the chambers 12,depending on actual need. For instance, as shown in FIG. 2, a middlechamber 12 in the main body 1 of the double-walled panel is empty whileall other chambers 12 are filled with the working liquid 2.

The sealing covers 3 are connected to the two opposite open sides of themain body 1 to seal the open ends 121, 122 of all the chambers 12. Eachof the sealing covers 3 is provided on one surface facing toward themain body 1 with a plurality of insert portions 31 for separatelyinserting into the open ends 121, 122 of the chambers 12, so that theopen ends 121, 122 are securely sealed.

Please refer to FIGS. 4 to 7, in which FIG. 4 shows the use of thedouble-walled panel of the present invention as a ceiling panel in abuilding, FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the circled area “a”of FIG. 4, and FIGS. 6 and 7 show how the double-walled panel of thepresent invention served as a ceiling panel releases the working liquid2 filled therein when the building is on fire. As shown, to use thedouble-walled panels of the present invention as a ceiling panel, simplyinstall the already sealed main body 1 of the double-walled panels on apredetermined framework 4, such as a lightweight ceiling suspensionsystem. Fixing elements 41 for fixing the framework 4 to thedouble-walled panel can be extended through the chambers 12 that do nothave the working liquid 2 filled therein. When the environment, in whichthe double-walled panel is used, is in normal conditions, the workingliquid 2 in the sealed chambers 12 of the double-walled main body 1 canabsorb ambient heat to lower the environment temperature. In the eventthe building using the double-walled panel is on fire, the workingliquid 2 in the sealed chambers 12 of the main body 1 would be heatedand vaporized due to the surrounding high temperature. The vaporizedworking liquid 2 results in expansion and final breaking of the plasticmain body 1, so that the working liquid 2 in the chambers 12 of the mainbody 1 flows out of the damaged main body 1 onto burning things to helpin extinguishing the fire. Moreover, in the case of using clean water ordrinking water as the working liquid 2, the working liquid 2 can alsoserve as drinking water for those who are trapped in a collapsedbuilding during a disaster, so that the trapped have more chances tosurvive the disaster even after the rescue golden time, i.e. the first72 hours after the disaster. Further, the volume of the working liquid 2filled in the doubled-walled main body 1 is changeable according toactual conditions. For example, when the working liquid 2 has highheat-absorption capacity or has good fire-extinguishing capacity, thevolume of the working liquid 2 filled in the chambers 12 can be reduced.On the other hand, when the working liquid 2 has low heat-absorptioncapacity or has poor fire-extinguishing capacity, the volume of theworking liquid 2 filled in the chambers 12 should be increased.

Please refer to FIGS. 8 to 10, in which FIG. 8 shows the use of thedouble-walled panel of the present invention as a partition wall in abuilding; FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 8; andFIG. 10 shows how the double-walled panel of the present inventionserved as a partition wall releases the working liquid 2 filled thereinwhen the building is on fire. As shown, to install the double-walledpanel of the present invention that is used as a partition wall in abuilding, fixing elements 5 can be extended through the chambers 12 thatdo not have the working liquid 2 filled therein. When the environment,in which the double-walled panel is used, is in normal conditions, theworking liquid 2 in the sealed chambers 12 of the double-walled mainbody 1 can absorb ambient heat to lower the environment temperature. Inthe event the building using the double-walled panel is on fire, theworking liquid 2 in the sealed chambers 12 of the main body 1 would beheated and vaporized due to the surrounding high temperature. Thevaporized working liquid 2 results in expansion and final breaking ofthe plastic main body 1, so that the working liquid 2 in the chambers 12of the main body 1 flows out of the damaged main body 1 onto burningthings to help in extinguishing the fire. Moreover, in the case of usingclean water or drinking water as the working liquid 2, the workingliquid 2 can also serve as drinking water for those who are trapped in acollapsed building during a disaster, so that the trapped have morechances to survive the disaster even after the rescue golden time, i.e.the first 72 hours after the disaster. Further, the volume of theworking liquid 2 filled in the doubled-walled main body 1 is changeableaccording to actual conditions. For example, when the working liquid 2has high heat-absorption capacity or has good fire-extinguishingcapacity, the volume of the working liquid 2 filled in the chambers 12can be reduced. On the other hand, when the working liquid 2 has lowheat-absorption capacity or has poor fire-extinguishing capacity, thevolume of the working liquid 2 filled in the chambers 12 should beincreased.

Please refer to FIG. 11 that is an exploded perspective view of adouble-walled panel for building according to a second preferredembodiment of the present invention. As shown, in the second preferredembodiment, the sealing covers 3 respectively include a plurality ofseparated sections 32, and the insert portions 31 are respectivelyprovided on the sections 32 on one surface thereof facing toward themain body 1. By providing the sealing covers 3 in the form of aplurality of separated sections 32, the working liquid 2 can be filledinto or removed from specific chambers 12 to meet different requirementsand enable enhanced convenience in using the double-walled panel of thepresent invention.

The double-walled panel of the present invention can be used either as aceiling panel or a partition wall . With the working liquid 2 filled inthe chambers 12, the double-walled panel for building according to thepresent invention not only helps in lowering indoor temperature innormal use conditions, but also helps in extinguishing fire, in theevent the building is on fire unfortunately. Further, the working liquidcan also serve as drinking water for those who are trapped in acollapsed building during a disaster. Therefore, the present inventioneffectively overcomes the problems in the conventional plastic andgypsum panels and is very practical for use.

The present invention has been described with some preferred embodimentsthereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in thedescribed embodiments can be carried out without departing from thescope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limitedonly by the appended claims.

1. A double-walled panel for building, comprising: a double-walled mainbody defining an inner space and two opposite open sides, and beinginternally provided with a plurality of spacing boards to divide theinner space into a plurality of chambers, and each of the chambershaving two opposite open ends at the two open sides of the main body; aworking liquid being filled in at least one of the chambers in the mainbody; and at least two sealing covers for sealing the two open sides ofthe main body as well as the two open ends of each of the chambers; andthe sealing covers being respectively provided on one surface facingtoward the main body with a plurality of insert portions for separatelyinserting into the open ends of the chambers to seal the same.
 2. Thedouble-walled panel for building as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mainbody is made of a plastic material.
 3. The double-walled panel forbuilding as claimed in claim 1, wherein the working liquid is selectedfrom the group consisting of water and other fire-extinguishing liquids.4. The double-walled panel for building as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe working liquid filled in the chambers is in a volume smaller than orequal to a total volume of the chambers.
 5. The double-walled panel forbuilding as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing covers respectivelyinclude a plurality of separated sections, and the insert portions beingrespectively provided on the sections on one surface thereof facingtoward the main body.